 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Elenna
Date: 2002-01-27 05:20
Please pardon my ignorance, but what exactly is All State? How are assessments made, and who judges the performances? I'm just curious. Thanks!
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Author: kenabbott
Date: 2002-01-27 11:27
Throughout the US, most (if not all) states have competitive auditions for "honors" bands and orchestras at the city, county, region (multi-county) and state levels. These groups often meet for one or two weekends of intensive practice before putting on one or more concerrts. For those who don't go on to become professional musicians, these concerts can represent the high point of a musical career.
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Author: sarah
Date: 2002-01-27 15:35
Judges are usually teachers in the area and grade the students on a prepared piece, sight reading, and scales. Tone, rhythm, and note accuracy are some of the specific things that they grade on. Remember, this is just from my experience. Things could be different in other states.
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Author: donald nicholls
Date: 2002-01-27 21:06
some of the "All State" competitions are at a really high level too. Here in NZ we only have a population of about 4million, i believe that a number of the "States" will have a higher population that our entire country plus better teachers etc. One of my former students (when i lived in the US) got the highest grade in a competition that wasn't even "All State" and the quality of music was still higher than anything i've seen at high school level here in NZ on a national level.
The US is a BIG place, and to do well at "All State" can be quite an achievement, something that is not often recognised by us "furrinrrrrs" (nobody in nz, for instance, would even know what it was, and if they found out would probably not be at all impressed, as anything associated with "bands" is synonymous with lower quality in this country).
oh well
donald
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2002-01-28 00:02
This is how All-State works in Middle-Tennessee:
First, you audition for something called "Mid-State". Mid-State is the band right under All-State, sort of a preparation stage. It shortens the competition level to only people that live in the middle division of Tennesee. (I don't know if they have East-State or West-State. You'll have to ask people who live there.) Grades 7-9 qualify for the "Junior High" Band, and 10-12 for "Senior High"
If you make it into the top band in Senior High (They don't do this for Junior High) and you qualify at a certain chair placement, you recieve an invitation to try out for All-State. If you've been invited, you automatically have a slot and music, but chair placement is determined in the tryout. The number of people invited depends on the section; They accept one Eb, eight Bb's, two basses, and ONE MEASLEY CONTRA (That last part gets on my nerves.)
Out of the seven clarinets (of all sizes) that tried out for SH Mid-State, all of us made it and four were invited to All-State. No, I was not one of them.
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Author: Stephanie
Date: 2002-01-28 03:40
Basically, All State is an honor band for students who tend to excel on their instrument. (I dunno if that made since.) Here in Alabama, it's not so difficult to get into All State. Well, for clarinets anyway. First, you have to audition at the district level; there are 8 band districts. The Sr. High takes 12 Bb clarinets for All State, 4 for each band: red band, white band, and blue band (listed highest band to lowest). The Jr. High, which is grades 7-9 has one band. They take 4 clarinets for it. I personally think they get jipped. Anywayz, If you make All State, you're automatically accepted to the District Honor Band. Others who tried out and didn't make All State but ranked high enough also get accepted. I think they take about 4 more (16 total) for my district. The reason I say it's not so hard to make All State here is that there are only about 25-30 who try out. It's more a matter of what band you make when you audition for the Sr. High. Other sections, like trumpets, are more competitve, and other districts in the state are much more competitive than mine; so I don't think it's really all that fair.
I know that I had said that I was disappointed with my chair placement Saturday, but I am glad I auditioned and will get to perform with some excellent musicians in April. All State is a very cool experience and I learn a lot every time I go. :o)
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Author: n/a
Date: 2002-01-28 21:37
in missouri you try out for your district( there are something like 10 districts) where anywhere from 40 to 80 clarinets try out for 24 spots, then, providing you make all district you can try out for the 24 clarinet spots in all state against about 160 - 200 clarinets.
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Author: Elenna
Date: 2002-01-29 08:33
Thanks everyone! It's always interesting to see how things are run in various places.
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Author: Blake
Date: 2002-01-30 16:56
I'm curious as to people's experiences with the different audition forms... When I was growing up in Virginia I made first chair Bb sop in the junior div of Northern Virginia through an open audition.. all 60 of us in front of the judges and playing the same thing in front of everyone else. Senior Division was blind audition by yourself.. but we all caught the judges "peeking" to see who it was. Northern VA region was highly competitive since nearly all the students competing had access to private tutors from the military service bands in DC plus the clarinetists on faculty at U of MD and the National Symphony. It really wasnt fair to the clarinetists in the rest of the state and the rural areas of Virginia. Richmond and Norfolk areas produced some good players too. but when you consider 30+ high schools in northern virginia with 10 to 30 clarinet players most of whom are studying privately.. you get an idea of the competition and why so many of us were discouraged from pursuing a professional career in clarinet! I did make All-State.. but on Eb sop. I knew I wouldnt make the top 6 chairs in the region to qualify for all state auditions in Virginia.
Blake Velde
Arlington, VA
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Author: Elise
Date: 2002-01-31 22:46
Here in New York it's done a lot differently. I live on Long Island and the competition is really fierce here, forget upstate. NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) runs audition festivals annually. The state is divided into many many districts and each district administrates the festival, which is basically two days, friday and saturday usually between april and june where students K-12 play. The festivals are usually held at a high school or junior high/middle school and that school district runs it for the NYSSMA district that year--it rotates. Kids from that NYSSMA district sign up through their school music teacher for level I through VI (easy-difficult). All of the kids perform a prepared solo from the NYSSMA manual (which lists solos and required movements as well as ensemble NYSSMA pieces, required scales, etc.), 3 scales (usually selected by the judge but some will give a choice) and sightread a short passage. Each is judged by a NYSSMA member--a teacher or retired teacher usually from the area but often from anywhere around the state who gives them a score on a set rubric totalling 1-28 points for levels I-IV and 1-100 points on levels V and VI.
Only high school sophomores and juniors do All-State auditions and those that earn the privilege of getting into an All-State performing group go to that festival early the next year (so All-State groups are made up of juniors and seniors). To compete for All-State, you must play required movements (usually contrasting) as listed in the manual of a level VI solo, have all major scales prepared, and play a sightreading passage. This All-State audition is graded more harshly than a regular level VI audition (the word audition is used for all of the levels regardless of whether or not there is a competition). To be considered for All-State, you must receive a perfect score of 100. After that, selections for All-State orchestra, band and chorus are made based on the comments column on the judging sheets. (Whatever else they're based on is a mystery to me!) All of the players that are accepted, and it is an honor, play somewhere upstate for a few days and prepare a concert in that time. Yes, it's a pretty big deal among music people and is taken to say something about the players' abilities--there are a lot of people in New York that do All-State NYSSMA auditions and don't make it.
I hope I'm not one of those people this year. 
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